1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to an electronic device, and more particularly, to a board assembly which is provided with a socket for inserting and mounting a storage medium such as a memory card or a subscriber identification module (SIM) card.
2. Description of the Related Art
As used herein, an electronic device refers to a device such as a portable terminal, e.g., an electronic diary (PDA), a portable multimedia player (MP3 player), a mobile communication terminal (such as a portable telephone), and a tablet PC, an image/sound device, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a vehicle navigation system, including a home appliance which is configured to execute a specific function according a program installed therein, for example, to output stored information as a sound or an image. Recently, various functions have been incorporated in a single mobile communication terminal as the degree of integration of such an electronic device has been increased and high capacity and high speed wireless communication has become common. For example, an entertainment function such as a game, a multimedia function such as reproduction of a music/moving image, a communication and security function for mobile banking or the like, a scheduling or calendar function, an electronic wallet function, etc. are integrated into a single electronic device, in addition to a communication function.
Also, as multimedia services using a mobile communication network are strengthened, competition for a large screen and high definition is intensified in the field of output device for electronic devices, for example, in the field of a display device. It is desired that an electronic device using a mobile communication network should be secure while being mobile, in other words, portability. Accordingly, due to demand for a large screen of a display device, efforts for securing the portability of an electronic device are concentrated to the reduction of a bezel region in a display device and the reduction of the thickness of an electronic device.
In addition, it is necessary to secure a sufficient storage capacity in an electronic device in order to store, for example, high definition images and videos, photographs, or various information. Expanding of a storage capacity in an electronic device itself often causes an increase in manufacturing costs, and hence the increase of users' purchasing cost. Accordingly, in order to allow consumers to expand a storage capacity by purchasing an additional storage medium, manufacturers mount various sockets in an electronic device.
Connectors for inserting and mounting a memory card for expanding a storage capacity and a SIM card are representative examples of connectors often mounted in an electronic device. Recently, a mobile communication terminal equipped with a dual SIM card socket has also become commercially available which allows a single device to use different mobile communication networks.
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a part of a conventional electronic device 10, in particular, a mobile communication terminal, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic device taken along line A-A′ in FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing 11 of the electronic device 10 provides a mounting recess 13 for mounting a battery on the rear surface thereof, and a part of the SIM card socket 19 is exposed to the mounting recess 13. The mounting recess 13 is separated from the inner space of the electronic device 10 by a shield member 15, for example, a shield can. That is, the shield member 15 forms the bottom surface of the mounting recess 13. At this time, the socket 19 is mounted inside of the shield member 15 to be only partially exposed to the outside of the shield member 15. The shield member 15 provides an accommodation recess 17 which is formed by deforming a part of the outer surface concavely. An insertion hole of the socket 19 configured to insert a storage medium 21 is connected with the accommodation recess 17 and the storage medium 21 inserted into the shield member 15 is positioned within the accommodation recess 17.
When the socket 19 or the storage medium 21 protrudes to the bottom surface of the mounting recess 13, in other words, to the outer surface of the shield member 15, a battery support surface is not flat. Accordingly, the socket 19 is positioned inside of the shield member 15 and only the insertion hole of the socket 19 is connected to the accommodation recess 17 so as to retain the bottom surface of the mounting recess 13 to be flat.
The structure in which the socket for inserting and mounting a storage medium is stacked with a battery as described above is configured such that the storage medium may be removed or mounted only when the battery is removed, and thus, the structure may prevent the electric damage of the storage medium. In other words, when the storage medium is removed or mounted while power is being supplied to the electronic device, the information stored in the storage medium may be damaged.
However, the socket arrangement structure as described above acts as a block to reduce the thickness of an electronic device such as a mobile communication terminal. Further, since the greater part of the large socket is positioned inside of the shield member and the storage medium is accommodated in the accommodation recess formed in the shield member, a user suffers from a difficulty in removing the storage medium from the socket.